Using
the Preloader Component
by tom aka novatake
One of the most baffling concepts to
understand in flash is the preloader; which unfortunately is
also one of the most important feature needed for large
movies. Many people like to have a loading bar (which is
quite hard). This tutorial will show you how to easily make
a loading bar by using a Flash MX Component.
[ You will create the loader
for the above animation ]
Download the source file and
the component required below. The source does not contain
the loader you will create that yourself.
Before you can install the Extension file,
you will need to get Macromedia extension manager 1.5 or
later.
Click here to download it. Make sure you install the
Extension file using the Macromedia Extensions manager.
Once you have the above files and the
Extension Manager downloaded, follow the directions to get
your animation configured:
-
Once you open the fla file your flash timeline should look
like the following image:

[ your
timeline should look like above image ]
-
In the first frame of the preloader layer open the
components panel and find the
loader component. Drag that component onto the stage and
remember to make sure you have inserted a keyframe.
- You should see that a small grey box appears.
That small grey box is the loader. In the second
frame insert a blank keyframe to make sure the load
bar disappears when
the movie starts.
- Your timeline should now look like this:

[ how your
timeline should look now ]
-
You are finished with the loader! To view the full
animation press ctrl+enter then ctrl+enter once more to
show the preloader.
Hope this is helpful!
-Tom
http://www.typhoon-extensions.cjb.net
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